Posts

Yes, it’s true! I worked on an organic cattle farm for 6 weeks while living in Australia several years ago. You may think, “Traitor!”…but of course, no peace-loving health enthusiast would ever think that! Why did I do it? I’d never worked on a cattle farm before and was open to see what it’s all about. The family who hired me had actually never met a vegetarian in their entire lives. What a union! I went into the experience with an open mind, and an open heart.

A vegetarian meets a cattle ranch family…will it work?

I took the job at the cattle station not long after working and living on Lizard Island on the Great Barrier Reef for a year and a half. I was coming out of the isolation of island living and driving around oz, happily visiting friends along the way. One of my friends was working in Alice Springs at the time, so I drove to see her. During my visit, she said, “Jennifer, why don’t you stay awhile and look for work? There’s plenty of work ’round here. Plus, when are you ever going to be back?” (Never, I thought!) But, it seemed like a good idea to stay and get to know more of what the strange, desolate, dry, red landscape had to offer. The next day, I checked the local job board and there was a sign for domestic help on an organic cattle farm. Well, I liked the word “organic” anyway! Why not call them and give it a try? I had nothing to lose.

Outback scenery…the road to Alice Springs

Living in the real outback of Australia is not easy. The husband of the family drove 4 hours one-way to come and pick me up in Alice Springs. We drove back to the farm together, getting to know each other along the way. The pickup truck had a big spider crack in the windshield and I remember spending a lot of time wondering how he could even see the road. Never mind that the car was covered in so many layers of dust that you could no longer see the color of the car! On the dashboard were several shotgun shells. They rolled back and forth with every turn that the car took. Admittedly, I wondered what I was getting into. The husband seemed tough, with thick skin tanned from the desert sun and just as many layers of dirt on him as the car. Yet, he seemed genuine and funny too. Not long after the initial small talk, we started talking about nutrition and health. He proudly told me, “I reckon I get the 4 food groups every morning: coffee, milk, sugar and water.” Ok!

The road to their farm was straight and long. Like hundreds of kilometers long. And nothing but desert for as far as you can see. Finally, we got to a dirt road that was another 200km until we got to their driveway. Then, the driveway was 35km long! And not an easy drive because you had to stop every so often at a cattle gate and get out to open the gate. Mind you, I had just come from living on a tropical island on the Great Barrier Reef, and I thought that was remote. This was beyond anything I had ever seen!!

The family that I worked for had 2 children: one was still at home and learning online via School of the Air, a fascinating program that’s been in place way before the internet (and originally by radio) for outback families. Their other child was already in boarding school back in Alice Springs. The farm was originally owned by the husband’s family. He inherited it after his father passed away. His wife ran the house and prepared meals for everyone, including the family, me and the other cattle hands. Every night, we all ate together at one big table, unless the guys were out somewhere on the farm mustering cattle.

Fair dinkum outback cowboys

The staff (3 of us) stayed in an old house on the property. It was run down, full of dust and smelled bad. Nothing to write home about. The best aspect of the job is that food and accommodation were included, so you could bank all of your money while you were there and come out with some nice savings. After all, what could you possibly spend your money on out there?! Literally nothing. The other 2 guys were nice guys. One was an experienced mustering pilot who worked side by side with the father each day. The other guy was an Irish backpacker who was a butcher back home in Ireland. They hired him to work with the mustering and also to cut up a cow for their freezer (more on that later). They never seemed to remember his name and just called him “Backpacker” all the time. My job was to spring clean the main house, section by section, room by room, from top to bottom.

In the evenings I would walk on the property…but you don’t want to get any closer than this. The cattle can turn and charge at any moment

I left the farm only once during my stay. The wife needed to stock up on some food essentials, so we went to the “local” store instead of driving all the way into Alice Springs. The local store was still a one hour drive away! It was in an Aboriginal village and catered mostly to them. You could immediately understand why obesity and diabetes have become such big problems in the Aboriginal communities. The store was full of candies, sweets and sugary sodas with just a few old wilted vegetables on a back shelf.

One thing I didn’t mention yet is what we ate. Thankfully, there were plenty of veggies for me to eat as well as bread and pasta (This was before I switched my own diet to a healthier version, but I was still a vegetarian). There was no snack food at all and I didn’t bring any snacks. It was a prison diet, in a sense. You just got your plate of food 3x a day and that was it. For the rest of the crew, they had tons of meat, at every meal. I’d never seen people eat red meat with breakfast, lunch and dinner every day. They had one entire freezer full of meat. In fact, while I was there, they started running low so they had Backpacker chop up a “kill.” It took him 2 days and seemed like a LOT of work. I also didn’t mention the flies. You can’t be in the outback without flies. Especially during those 2 days, there were tons of flies.

One thing that happened without fail at every meal – I was always asked if I had enough to eat. You see, this family had never eaten with a vegetarian before, so it was hard for them to believe that I could feel satisfied without meat. I found it pretty funny. If I was tired on any day, they would always say, “Do you want some meat?” Of course, the answer was always, “No thank you”!

The highlight of my experience was getting to spend a night in the outback with the boys while they were out mustering. I drove with them during the day in their “Mad Max” style jeeps on the ground, while the father and pilot flew from above in gyrocopters. We made a campfire at night, put the billy on the fire and slept on cots out in the open air, straight from an outback movie scene.

Mustering cattle is a lot harder than it looks!

In the end, was it a great experience and a good cultural exchange. Why not let a cattle ranch family live with a vegetarian and vice versa? How will we ever understand each other if we don’t foster positive friendships? I respect the family for their hard work, dedication to the land and desire to raise cattle who eat real grass and are not confined to a mega factory farm. I now have much more of a real understanding of what happens in an organic cattle farm than I ever did before. If people do eat meat, it should be organic meat…and ideally, that would be the only option. Our land can sustain it (although dairy farming is another issue), and there is no overuse of antibiotics, GMO feed or growth hormones as a result.

Aussie outback: where the earth and sky meet

Some may think that I should have boycotted such a place and never accepted the job. I myself ate meat, including pork, chicken and beef, as a child. Should I be burned at the stake because I ate meat until the age of 21 years old? What makes me better or worse than someone who eats meat now? I originally become a vegetarian for environmental reasons. After 15 years or so, my focus shifted more on health reasons. This year will be my 26th year of having not eaten meat.

An interesting note to all of this is that the husband’s father passed away from colon cancer, in his 50’s. It’s a very sad ending for someone who loved the land so much. And does make one wonder – did eating so much meat, even organic meat, contribute to his ill health?

The one thing I do know is this: acceptance, forgiveness and love are the keys to bridging the gaps that divide us. Whether vegan, vegetarian, breatharian or other…we are all human.

https://healthybliss.net/bliss/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/cattlesunset.jpg525700Jennifer Thompsonhttps://healthybliss.net/bliss/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/hb_logo_01.pngJennifer Thompson2018-01-10 13:30:262018-01-10 13:35:17Why I worked on an organic cattle farm

Yes, it’s true! I worked on an organic cattle farm for 6 weeks while living in Australia several years ago. You may think, “Traitor!”…but of course, no peace-loving health enthusiast would ever think that! Why did I do it? I’d never worked on a cattle farm before and was open to see what it’s all about. The family who hired me had actually never met a vegetarian in their entire lives. What a union! I went into the experience with an open mind, and an open heart.

A vegetarian meets a cattle ranch family…will it work?

I took the job at the cattle station not long after working and living on Lizard Island on the Great Barrier Reef for a year and a half. I was coming out of the isolation of island living and driving around oz, happily visiting friends along the way. One of my friends was working in Alice Springs at the time, so I drove to see her. During my visit, she said, “Jennifer, why don’t you stay awhile and look for work? There’s plenty of work ’round here. Plus, when are you ever going to be back?” (Never, I thought!) But, it seemed like a good idea to stay and get to know more of what the strange, desolate, dry, red landscape had to offer. The next day, I checked the local job board and there was a sign for domestic help on an organic cattle farm. Well, I liked the word “organic” anyway! Why not call them and give it a try? I had nothing to lose.

Outback scenery…the road to Alice Springs

Living in the real outback of Australia is not easy. The husband of the family drove 4 hours one-way to come and pick me up in Alice Springs. We drove back to the farm together, getting to know each other along the way. The pickup truck had a big spider crack in the windshield and I remember spending a lot of time wondering how he could even see the road. Never mind that the car was covered in so many layers of dust that you could no longer see the color of the car! On the dashboard were several shotgun shells. They rolled back and forth with every turn that the car took. Admittedly, I wondered what I was getting into. The husband seemed tough, with thick skin tanned from the desert sun and just as many layers of dirt on him as the car. Yet, he seemed genuine and funny too. Not long after the initial small talk, we started talking about nutrition and health. He proudly told me, “I reckon I get the 4 food groups every morning: coffee, milk, sugar and water.” Ok!

The road to their farm was straight and long. Like hundreds of kilometers long. And nothing but desert for as far as you can see. Finally, we got to a dirt road that was another 200km until we got to their driveway. Then, the driveway was 35km long! And not an easy drive because you had to stop every so often at a cattle gate and get out to open the gate. Mind you, I had just come from living on a tropical island on the Great Barrier Reef, and I thought that was remote. This was beyond anything I had ever seen!!

The family that I worked for had 2 children: one was still at home and learning online via School of the Air, a fascinating program that’s been in place way before the internet (and originally by radio) for outback families. Their other child was already in boarding school back in Alice Springs. The farm was originally owned by the husband’s family. He inherited it after his father passed away. His wife ran the house and prepared meals for everyone, including the family, me and the other cattle hands. Every night, we all ate together at one big table, unless the guys were out somewhere on the farm mustering cattle.

Fair dinkum outback cowboys

The staff (3 of us) stayed in an old house on the property. It was run down, full of dust and smelled bad. Nothing to write home about. The best aspect of the job is that food and accommodation were included, so you could bank all of your money while you were there and come out with some nice savings. After all, what could you possibly spend your money on out there?! Literally nothing. The other 2 guys were nice guys. One was an experienced mustering pilot who worked side by side with the father each day. The other guy was an Irish backpacker who was a butcher back home in Ireland. They hired him to work with the mustering and also to cut up a cow for their freezer (more on that later). They never seemed to remember his name and just called him “Backpacker” all the time. My job was to spring clean the main house, section by section, room by room, from top to bottom.

In the evenings I would walk on the property…but you don’t want to get any closer than this. The cattle can turn and charge at any moment

I left the farm only once during my stay. The wife needed to stock up on some food essentials, so we went to the “local” store instead of driving all the way into Alice Springs. The local store was still a one hour drive away! It was in an Aboriginal village and catered mostly to them. You could immediately understand why obesity and diabetes have become such big problems in the Aboriginal communities. The store was full of candies, sweets and sugary sodas with just a few old wilted vegetables on a back shelf.

One thing I didn’t mention yet is what we ate. Thankfully, there were plenty of veggies for me to eat as well as bread and pasta (This was before I switched my own diet to a healthier version, but I was still a vegetarian). There was no snack food at all and I didn’t bring any snacks. It was a prison diet, in a sense. You just got your plate of food 3x a day and that was it. For the rest of the crew, they had tons of meat, at every meal. I’d never seen people eat red meat with breakfast, lunch and dinner every day. They had one entire freezer full of meat. In fact, while I was there, they started running low so they had Backpacker chop up a “kill.” It took him 2 days and seemed like a LOT of work. I also didn’t mention the flies. You can’t be in the outback without flies. Especially during those 2 days, there were tons of flies.

One thing that happened without fail at every meal – I was always asked if I had enough to eat. You see, this family had never eaten with a vegetarian before, so it was hard for them to believe that I could feel satisfied without meat. I found it pretty funny. If I was tired on any day, they would always say, “Do you want some meat?” Of course, the answer was always, “No thank you”!

The highlight of my experience was getting to spend a night in the outback with the boys while they were out mustering. I drove with them during the day in their “Mad Max” style jeeps on the ground, while the father and pilot flew from above in gyrocopters. We made a campfire at night, put the billy on the fire and slept on cots out in the open air, straight from an outback movie scene.

Mustering cattle is a lot harder than it looks!

In the end, was it a great experience and a good cultural exchange. Why not let a cattle ranch family live with a vegetarian and vice versa? How will we ever understand each other if we don’t foster positive friendships? I respect the family for their hard work, dedication to the land and desire to raise cattle who eat real grass and are not confined to a mega factory farm. I now have much more of a real understanding of what happens in an organic cattle farm than I ever did before. If people do eat meat, it should be organic meat…and ideally, that would be the only option. Our land can sustain it (although dairy farming is another issue), and there is no overuse of antibiotics, GMO feed or growth hormones as a result.

Aussie outback: where the earth and sky meet

Some may think that I should have boycotted such a place and never accepted the job. I myself ate meat, including pork, chicken and beef, as a child. Should I be burned at the stake because I ate meat until the age of 21 years old? What makes me better or worse than someone who eats meat now? I originally become a vegetarian for environmental reasons. After 15 years or so, my focus shifted more on health reasons. This year will be my 26th year of having not eaten meat.

An interesting note to all of this is that the husband’s father passed away from colon cancer, in his 50’s. It’s a very sad ending for someone who loved the land so much. And does make one wonder – did eating so much meat, even organic meat, contribute to his ill health?

The one thing I do know is this: acceptance, forgiveness and love are the keys to bridging the gaps that divide us. Whether vegan, vegetarian, breatharian or other…we are all human.

https://healthybliss.net/bliss/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/cattlesunset.jpg525700Jennifer Thompsonhttps://healthybliss.net/bliss/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/hb_logo_01.pngJennifer Thompson2018-01-10 13:30:262018-01-10 13:35:17Why I worked on an organic cattle farm

A pregnant woman eating 10 bananas a day in Australia is making world-wide news and stirring a lot more than raw cacao and acai bowls… Loni Jane Anthony is a 25-year old pregnant blogger and instagram sensation, famously known as “10-bananas-a-day” Loni Jane.

Loni Jane was recently featured on news.com.au in Australia where she discussed her the details of her “extreme diet,” considered even more extreme to many because she is now 26 weeks pregnant.

“It all started about three years ago. I started getting skin infections, acne and putting on weight which was weird because I’d always been so slim. I wanted to sleep all the time and ended up with a whole range of health problems including candida overgrowth, hormone imbalance, irregular periods and hair loss,” she said.

She says that years of a party-hard lifestyle with excessive partying, drinking and alcohol left her sick and desperate for a solution. She turned to the 80-10-10 diet, a diet created by Dr. Doug Graham consisting of low-fat, whole, fresh, uncooked fruits and vegetables after her health hit rock bottom.

“It wasn’t for weight loss or for a quick fix. I was internally really sick; I was killing myself slowly. If I’d kept living that lifestyle I would’ve ended up with a disease like cancer or early ageing. So giving up that food was really quite simple for me,” Loni said.

“I came across the 80:10:10 Diet from an extreme fruitarian. She really taught me that you can live and thrive on this lifestyle by just eating higher carbohydrate vegetables, fruits and juices, and keeping your diet low fat. You even keep good fats low to keep your blood sugar stable. It’s been amazing.”

Loni also tried the Paleo Diet and Gerson Therapy before converting to 80-10-10 or “811,” a low-fat, plant-based diet – which is 80% carbs, 10% fat and 10% protein.

Now 26 weeks pregnant with her first child, Loni Jane says The 80:10:10 Diet ‘saved her life.’

“I usually wake up about 4.30am-5am and have up to two litres of warm water with lemon. I let that go down for two or three hours. In summer I like to eat half a watermelon to get hydrated,” she said.

“If I don’t have watermelon I’ll have a big smoothie with at least five bananas, but usually more than five because organic bananas are smaller, and about a litre of filtered water. I also always have oranges in the morning being pregnant. I’m obsessed with eating oranges.

“At lunch I usually like to have a mono meal, meaning one type of fruit, which is really good for digestion and goes straight through you. At the moment it’s mangoes I’m hooked on so my meal for lunch will be at least five or six mangoes. I might then have a salad later depending on how active I am that day.

“Dinner is always a huge salad with a tahini dressing. If I decide to have something cooked I’ll have it on the side like at the moment my crispy no-fat potatoes are divine.”

“I feel like now I can share who I really am and I’m not trying to hide behind alcohol and partying. I don’t need to alter my state and get drunk to feel like myself or to have fun. I didn’t quit alcohol altogether but it’s no longer five days a week, it’s more like once every five months.”

“If you live your passion people will see that. I’m just living it, and living exactly what you see, and that’s what inspires people I think. Because I’m at an age where most people are out getting super-drunk and taking heaps of drugs and having no self-respect, so I like to inspire girls because I was once in that position as well.”

So, the big question… is this ok? Is it safe for a woman to be eating 10 bananas a day while pregnant? First I should say that I’m happy to hear of any story that gets us talking more about fruits and vegetables! Loni Jane is a very pretty girl. It sounds like she’s feeling great during her pregnancy and I hope she’s getting her iron levels tested and regular health check-ups to make sure the baby is ok.

From my own point of view, I personally think Loni Jane is a bit too thin and she looks very thin in her pregnancy photos, but just that’s my opinion. Of course, some woman can be very thin and healthy while pregnant. The most important thing to do while pregnant is have regular doctor visits and make sure the baby is developing at the right rate, that the heart rate is ok and that the mother is not anemic or mineral deficient.

When I see photos like this, I worry more about the implications of what kind of image this puts out to young girls and women. I’ve worked with many women with eating disorders and I’ve seen the obsession with flat-belly “selfie photos” all too often… I’ve also worked with many women who had drug and alcohol addictions, and went straight from that addiction into a strict and regimented 100% raw food diet. Replacing one addiction for another keeps an obsessive-like behavior, it isolates a person from family and friends, and keeps them locked into a “perfection-seeking” lifestyle. Often these women will binge and purge between raw food and junk food, desperately trying to find a stable middle-ground. Underneath that can be a real lack of self-value, self-worth and self-love. Some women will even combine their 100% fruitarian diet with getting breast implants, cheek fillers, lip fillers and botox but then profess their love of raw food and living a “natural life.” When young girls see an image of a size 0 women with size D silicon gravity-defying breasts drinking a green juice or holding a handful of bananas, it just doesn’t give plant-based diets or raw food a good name. How do we find a balance, when it’s clear that sex and beauty sell? In truth, there is no easy solution.

It’s definitely important for pregnant and breast-feeding mothers to get enough fat, protein and calcium in their diet. If a pregnant women is vegan, vegetarian, fruitarian or raw foodist, she should be extra attentive to her nutritional needs. Eating 10 bananas a day while pregnant is perfectly fine. (How many women eat 2 bagels, a bag of cookies, ice cream and cake while pregnant…and no one bats an eye?) However, in the early stages of pregnancy, it’s especially important to avoid too many high Vitamin C foods. High doses of Vitamin C can stop the body from making progesterone, the main pregnancy hormone. It could be dangerous for young pregnant women to follow Loni’s diet if they eat too many mangoes and oranges thinking they are doing the right thing, when in fact the high amounts of Vitamin C could trigger a miscarriage. It’s also not a good idea to go straight from a SAD or meat-eating diet into a 100% raw food diet at the onset of pregnancy and this can stir up a lot of toxins from the natural detox effect and that’s not good for a growing baby.

In Loni’s case, she seems to be doing well at 26 weeks and I wish her all the best. She’s got a creative eye and her photos of raw food are great! I’m happy that she is bringing a lot of attention to eating a more plant-based diet and she sounds like she’s pretty grounded in her approach to dealing with her new-found fame.

Wow! I was so inspired by this movie! Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead show 2 extremely overweight men do a 60-day juice fast, and the results are outstanding!

All information in this article is for educational purposes only.

It is not for the diagnosis, treatment, prescription or cure of any disease or health condition.

This documentary shows a real life regular Australian guy named Joe who, at 140 kg or just over 300 pounds, was sick with an auto-immune disease and a strange re-occurance of rash and hives. At 40 years old and feeling fat, sick and nearly dead, he finally decided to take his health in his own hands. Can you imagine, at only 40 years old, being so overweight and in pain from arthritis, that you have to use a raised toilet seat to even sit on the toilet? Or, maybe that’s already you? Then it’s definitely time for some change!

Yes, Joe took responsibility for his own health and decided to completely change his diet and lifestyle!

Joe Cross before his detox

He embarked on a 60-day juice only liquid fast and not only lost weight, but cleared the rash, gained energy and made a plan to continue with positive change after the detox.

In 60 days, he lost over 80 pounds.

It is phenomenal to see the transformation!

And, even better, Joe continued to make changes when he finished his detox. He started exercising, ate salads and juices, and after another 70 days, he not only maintained the original weight loss but lost another 20 pounds. He also managed to get off all medications – wow, now that is Mother Nature’s doctor at work for some real natural healing!

Along his journey of juice fasting and traveling across the United States on a road trip with the juicer set up to a battery in the back of his car, Joe met a lot of overweight Americans and many had different ideas on fasting. It’s worth watching just to see what they say!

Joe Cross after – transformation!

At one point, he meets Phil who is over 400 pounds and has the same skin rash condition as him. Phil gets inspired and eventually does the 60-day juice fast himself.

It’s really spectacular to see these normal people who were previously victims of fast food and prescription drugs and are now teaching people how to juice kale and apples! I love it!!

So, what about actually doing a 60-day juice fast yourself? Is it safe?

In the movie, both men get clearance from their doctors and also regular checkups during the fast. This is definitely a good idea, especially if you have never fasted before, are on any medications of any kind and especially if you are suffering from any medical conditions.

Was Joe constipated after his detox at all??

60 days is a long time to go without any bowel movements. The thing that Joe never mentions in the movie is whether or not he did enemas or colonics during his fast. Since he didn’t mention it, I doubt he did any. This does concern me, especially when I think of how toxic so many people are today and how they could easily lessen the effects of the detox reactions by doing a daily enema during their fast. I would also recommend certain herbs and supplements to support the body during the process.

Re-toxifying of Heavy Metals

The other issue that concerns me is that people doing a long fast with extreme weight loss can disrupt pockets of heavy metal accumulation in their body. Often times the body will safely store heavy metals in it’s fat cells. It’s a way for the body to try to protect itself from these toxic materials. If you have extreme weight loss in a short period of time, as the fat gets burned, the heavy metals have to move somewhere else…and they can potentially move into and do harm to the organs. In an Iridology reading, we can see if a person has the potential for heavy metal accumulation. It’s a good idea to get checked out, and to also consider doing a heavy metal detox as a follow-up to the juice fast. During the fast, it may also be a good idea to take zeolite as this is a natural chelator for heavy metals and toxins and can assist the body with the detox process.

I particularly like the doctor in the film, Dr. Joel Fuhrman. He had some great quotes:

Permanent results only come from permanent changes in diet and lifestyle.

You don’t get permanently well unless you permanently change the way you live.

Fasting can be used as a time where you re-train your taste buds. If it helps you with healthy eating thereafter, then it’s done it’s job.

‘Wherever you’re at, you’ve got to make the commitment that you want to change.’

‘Most diseases begin with inflammation.’

‘A lot of people who wrote these books were not doing it themselves.’

‘Dairy products won’t do anything for you. They are not conducive to good health.’

‘We all have influence on our genetic expression through the power of our thoughts.’

‘There is a real problem with our perception of protein. We must realize that there are quality proteins in greens.’

‘Cells can speak to each other.’

‘The thoughts we entertain become a reality.’

‘Every time I see someone who looks exceptionally good, I say here’s my chance to learn something, and I ask them what they are doing.’

‘DNA is not destiny.’

‘Green juices are the Great Neutralizer.’

‘Don’t expect others to change their lives to accommodate what you’re doing.’

‘Live together with those not living our lifestyle. You don’t have to save or convert them. You don’t have to convince them for your own ego. There is more to life than what you are eating! Don’t talk about food all the time because it’s boring, and you will turn people off! You might think you know something about another person, but you don’t.’

‘I am grateful every day when I wake up and my name is not in the obituary that I have another day to go out and do what I love.’

‘We can change the world, one person at a time. I believe we have a Divine destiny. We can do this.’

‘Coffee is a disaster.’

‘I don’t think about food much anymore. My most important connection is my spiritual relationship with the Divine.’

‘I view myself as an instrument of fulfillment for other people, and we can heal people more not by talking about what they eat but by focusing on unconditional love – that is how we can heal the world.’

‘I am personally an 80-year old planning my future.’

‘Don’t focus on circumstances, stay focused on where you are going, it’s all about your vision, where you want to go. Don’t take your eye off the ball!’

So much inspiration and motivation and loving people at the seminar, thank you Perth and thanks to the raw food community who took me in and gave me a home during my stay, especially Rachan of Raw Hope, a non-profit group of local raw foodists who gather together for raw food pot lucks and picnics in the Perth area. Thanks Rachan, I miss that banana ice cream!!!

A sneak peek into a local Raw Foodie’s kitchen in Perth – see what he’s got un-cooking!

From Bali to Bangkok and down to Perth…by the time I landed in Australia, I was sleep-deprived and exhausted yet so excited for the next stage of my holiday! I went down to Australia to specifically take part in a 4-day seminar hosted by Fred Bisci all about ‘Your Healthy Journey.’ Fred is an American from New York and has been a 100% raw food vegan for over 45 years!!! That alone make him worth meeting, don’t you reckon! I mean, really guys, a lot of people are talking about raw food and health and blah blah blah, but how many people do you meet that have made the commitment to it for that long?? I was inspired just from that alone.

Raw Food Living

Fred, I hope to be running like that when I\’m 80!

The things that I really took away from Fred’s ideas about Raw Food living were simple but often forgotten or overlooked – mainly to eat LESS food at every meal, not to eat LATE at night and to eat very SIMPLY with your choices of raw foods. Honestly I can admit that even though I am eating natural, whole and pure raw foods, I often do eat too much in one meal and I definitely am guilty of eating late at night. Many times I am so busy working from 8am straight through to 8pm and so I will sit down at 9pm with a huge salad to make up for lack of food during the day. In my mind I was thinking, well it is a salad so who cares when I eat it…but really after hearing Fred speak about how that food will ferment in your bowel overnight but more importantly, how it will make you feel more tired the next day. And for me that is so true!! I thought I was tired from working too much but I can see now that I have been adding to that by eating too late in the evenings. So one of my biggest insights for myself is to eat less at each meal and also to try not to eat past 7pm at the latest.

Spiritual Living

Fred Bisci\’s book – Your Healthy Journey

The thing I also like about Fred was his strong connection to his Divine Source and his spiritual commitment to his journey. To me this is the most important part of it all. I see so many people get caught up in the what to eat and what not to eat about what about protein or do you eat oils or are you really 100% and at the end of the day, that is not what it’s all about!!!! If you are tapped into your true authentic self, if you can live fully in the present moment, if you listen to your own body and if you learn to love and let go then you would not need to fill your head with all this other useless information!!! Fred is totally genuine and has no ego about what he does whatsoever. He accepts people for wherever they are at and does not push 100% raw on anyone. He makes recommendations based on where he thinks you can succeed first and then helps you from there. And he is not afraid to talk about his strong relationship with his Source, but at the same time he is not pushing it on anyone. Much respect to you Fred for that 🙂

– – interject with a Samui moment, as I am sitting here in my bungalow writing this, I just got word that my coconut man is back in business after being out of commission with a foot injury for a few weeks, so finally I am having my 5 coconut/day delivery again – direct to my door from the tree to me, for a mere 50 cents per coconut, wow is that some Divine intervention or what – hehehe!!! – –

Healthy Living

Back to Fred, anyway all I can say is his book ‘Your Healthy Journey’ is well worth the investment, just to hear what someone doing this for as many years as him has to say. The things that he suggests are very much in line with what I teach in terms of eliminating processed foods from the diet, remove any excess chemicals from the diet or lifestyle and tap into the body’s natural ability to heal itself.

Systemic Enzymes

I decided to buy some of Fred’s Systemic Enzymes since I had some extra cash from selling my sprout bags at the seminar 🙂 and what a great find that was for me!! I have only been taking these enzymes for about 10 days and already I feel so much improvement, physically, emotionally and energetically! I have taken a LOT of different supplements in my time, and I can honestly say this is the first one I have ever taken where I can actually FEEL a difference. Then, as a side benefit, I noticed the other day that this pesky wart I have had on my thumb for about 4 years now is completely gone!!! I have tried everything to get rid of that thing – garlic, clove oil, colloidal silver, etc etc and then spent about $500 on different laser treatments and whatever, and every single time the bastard grew back. Now after taking these enzymes, it is GONE! I am not kidding guys, the wart is completely GONE. Did some research to check it out and saw that yes, many others had experienced the same thing. So for this new addition to my routine, I am very grateful Fred – I’ll be on these systemic enzymes for awhile now I’m sure!!

I’ve got stacks of clips from Fred’s time in Perth on youtube which I will put up in the next few days, if you can’t wait then check them out on my new channel at findyourhealthybliss.

– – Drinking fresh green coconut, looking out to the sea, yes…life is Good – –

These were my Tarot cards that came up on the Osho Zen Tarot today (no joke!) and so I knew it must be time to update the website, finally. I’ve been under the radar for awhile, out of touch with updating my websites, but not for lack of content, just lack of a positive perspective perhaps. I’ve had a very rough time in my life the last several months and I have fought hard both physically and emotionally to pull through it. Amazingly enough, I found that I was able to keep to about an 80% raw food diet despite everything, and for that I am so grateful because really, in times of stress, your body needs good nutrition more than any other time. At the moment I am back to about 90% raw, and working to get closer and closer to 100% every day.

We will all face challenges involving pain and suffering in our lives, and we must remember to take care of ourselves and feed our bodies well during those times.

Forgiveness is a Blessing!

The transformation and change part stem from the ability to forgive those who have hurt me during this process. It is important to note that forgiveness is not at all a sign of weakness; it is merely part of the ‘letting go’ process. We will never truly heal if we do not find a way to forgive those who have hurt us. And forgiving ourselves is equally as important. I will not lose my faith in human kindness!! There so many more people who have inspired and motivated me through life than those who have disappointed me!

I continue to surround myself with positive energy and kind-hearted souls.

I plan to do another fast/cleanse again soon and hope that I can transition to 100% raw food again after the cleansing. We will see how I go. In the meantime, I have been enjoying a wonderful morning smoothie inspired by my lovely Hawaiian friends Zeoc, Jen and Micah. You should definitely give this one a try…

Gotta admit that it’s been tough sticking to the raw food diet whilst being in Australia…but not impossible!!!

Healthy in WA

There are so many yummy foods to tempt me away from the healthy stuff..but the amazing thing is that I don’t actually crave any junk, a good thing indeed!

I’ve been mainly eating all fruits during the day while at work, and I find it so very interesting because I have high energy all day while the other girls (mostly 10 years younger than me) are all tired and dragging themselves around.

Better fuel runs a better car, there is no denying it!

At night I generally have a salad and I am absolutely loving the spinach, kale, silverbeet and other fresh greens here that you can’t get in Thailand!!! Yum yum…

The only other thing I was really wanting was a juicer…and low and behold I went to a Lions Club Garage sale on Saturday, and I got a Breville juicer, 4 tupperware containers, a tea strainer and a cooler bag ALL for $5!!!! So even as a ‘backpacker,’ it is still possible and affordable to be healthy.

Just takes some focus, determination and willpower!!

Loving Margaret River, WA

Speaking of backpackers, I find it amazing and actually kind-of sad how many other young people I have met in the month I’ve been back in oz who are strung out on pills, speed, anti-depressants or all of the above. What is happening to people in the world? It’s really unbelievable, I mean these people are out travelling and they probably won’t even remember half of the experience!! I am definitely in the minority eating salads and often choosing not to drink, but who cares, because I FEEL GREAT!

Well it’s time for the test – can I manage to eat an all-raw diet in the ‘real world’? I have been living in Thailand for the last 10 months, and it’s been very easy maintaining a healthy diet there – with the large amount of fresh tropical fruits and veggies, who would want to eat anything else?? I’ve left Thailand for a break from Asia and now only time will tell if I can maintain a healthy lifestyle in a western country…

And the results so far are: GOOD!

Can I be this healthy in Australia?

I’ve been in Perth Australia for nearly a week now. And can I just tell you how much I am loving the fresh spinach, peaches and plums?? All of these things you just can’t get in Asia, at least not fresh or at a decent price…and here – wow! Honestly I think I needed a break from the pineapple, watermelon and papaya anyway…although I could never grow tired of durian!!

It’s great to be here and to be exploring having a variety of different fresh foods.

Also I seem to be influencing others around me in a positive way – the friends that I am staying with (thank you!!) are all enjoying my fresh salads each evening. It’s fun to eat healthy foods together – try it – you will feel happy and satiated instead of full and bloated!!!! You will sleep better, feel better and have unlimited energy all day!!!

I’ve got more work to do on this site, so please be patient while the beauty and inspiration unfolds…til then here is to your good health!!!

Shop Healthy!

Green Smoothies: Everything you need!

Your Career in Health!

Kitchen Awesomeness!

The Ultimate Detox

Get inspired!

Topics for a Healthier YOU!

Food for Thought

"If you can't fly, then run. If you can't run, then walk. If you can't walk, then crawl. But whatever you do, keep moving."

- Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

About @healthybliss

Jennifer Thompson has been working with clean food, juices, smoothies and detox for over two decades to help people heal. Today, she shares her expertise worldwide, offering lectures, workshops, training and one-on-one consultations at various health and detox retreat centers. She provides Iridology Readings & Health Coaching via Skype and Phone to clients. When she’s not working, you’ll find her hiking in the mountains, walking along the sea or globe-trotting to a new health destination. >> Read More>

Follow Jennifer

Disclaimer

The information provided on this site is for informational purposes only. It is not intended as a substitute for advice from your physician or other health care professional or any information contained on or in any product label or packaging. Always consult with a healthcare professional before starting any diet, exercise or supplementation program, before taking any medication, or if you have or suspect you might have a health problem. Read full disclaimer here.